Improvement in switch-stands



"iniitd tabet o'HAnL'ns o. poneva,A or

MARSHALL, MICHIGAN.

'Letters PatenvtNo.'106,259, dated August 9, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN SWITCH STANDS.`

The Schedule Areferred to :in th'ese Letters Patent and making part cf the same.

LUHARLES C.vDoDGE, of the cit-yof Marshall, in the county lof Calhoun and State of Michigan, have yinvented. certain Improvements in- Switch- Stands for operating railroad switches, of which the following is a speciiication.

lMy invention relates to combining with the targetlever a sliding sleeve, lfurnished with end-tongues, to latch into the groove-notches in thesegmental bars of the frame, andgprovided with a bulbous or ball-shaped side protuberance io serve as a`haudle, and aid the sleeve, by adding to its gravity in latching with the frame. 4 p Also, to :combining with said sleeve and leger a pendnlous tumbler and jointed bolt, placed. in the interior of the Abulbous prtubei'ance, to operate falso by gravity in bolting .the sleeve automatically to the target-lever-at the'momentsaid sleeve becomes latclied to the frame.

The.. object of my invention is to simplify and ren' der more certain. the first self-latching operation, and then secure automatically the latching device from displacement by the jar of a passing train; and my invention is fully embodied iuth'e accompanying drawing, in ,which- Figure-1 represents a three-throw switch-stand,

(latcled and bolted to theset of the main track,)"

shown in perspective.

Figure 2 is a vertical central section of the same,

through-the center ofthe lever'and sleeve proto/herance.

Similar lettersot' reference `indicate like parts in both figures. p

e A is the stand, usually of castiron,in one piece, with base flange through which-it is securely bolted to the bed-sill, (not shown.) V-

B B are the two segmental guide-bars, bolted through interposed lining-strips, to each end of the stand. v l

' D is the target-lever, working'between the guidehars, and pivoted to a' boss on the stand at d, which point is the center 'of the circle arc of said bars..

C `is the jointed end (broken off) of the bar connecting the lever with the switcll-rails, (not exhibited for want of space).

E is a cast-metal sleeve, 'cored out centrally, to embrace and slide freely up and down on that part oi' the leverimmediately above'the guide-bars.

A projecting tongue, i, 'is formed at the Vlower end ofieach of' the two wide side walls of the sleeve, to lit and drop into the cross-grooves e e, &c.,' in the upper edges of the guide-bars.

F is a bulbous or'balll-shapedhandle, cast ou the side of the sleeve, to lift or slide it Vup on the lever with one hand, and so disengage it iiom the grooves c.

J This handle is made moderately heavy, to add to the Agravit-y of the sleeve, so that it may act promptly in latching.'

A similar protuherance may he cast on the opposite V side, (as shown by dotted lines, `iig. 1,) but in practice, I find only one to -be the best, as the weight then' counter-acts all tendency to jam in the lifting action.

Achamhered slot (of which the unfilled part is shown at u) is cored out in the casting, to receive the pendulous tumbler-plate` J, pivoted at f, and jointed, as shown, to a 1ocking-boit, n, the; end of which bolt passes freely through a hole in the sleeve and lever, and locks them together, andV the conformation and arrangement of. the parts are suoli that, as the bolt passes through the lever, the lower side ot' the tumbler will drop down below the under side of the bulbous handle, as clearly shown in both figures of the drawing. v

`'When the operator desires to throw overt-hc switchrails from one track to another, he grasps theiever with one hand, and placing the palln of the other under the protuberance E, he lifts up the sleeve from its engagement w-ith the bar-grooves, and the lever is free to move.

v Beforethe hand gets a bearing to lift up the sleeve, it must first raise the tumbler and withdraw the jointed bolt from the lever; then, when the sleeve is lifted, the' lever moved over alittle and the lifting hand removed, the sleeve rests by itstongues i', li, on

the smooth edges of the guide-bars, and the end ot' Y the bolt n, actuated by the pendulous'v gravity of the tumbler' J, presses, against the face of the lever just above itsbolt-hole. Alhe lever is now pushed or pulled in the required direction, and when the weighted sleeve Acomes to the notches lits tongues fall into 'the grooves, the end of thc bolt n enters the hole in the lever, and the lever, sleeve, and stand-bars are automatically latched and bolted together beyond the possibility of disconnection, except by the hand-lifting operation, as aforesaid, whiclr'lnay be temporarily arrested, when necessary, by the usual padlock P.

In some situationson railways, the handle-,weighted sleeve alone, without its internal bolting device, may

Ybe suiicient to secure the lever, while,.under different conditions, the use of such or equivalent device, as a complete safeguard, will be found indispensible.

'In my mode of operating and securing switches, all

extra forged or fitted appendages on the lever, andA all other expensive shop iitting, are entirely dispensed with.

ance, is formed in one casting, all thc bearing or rub hing faces of which may be smoothly chilled. Oper- 4ating by gravity in direct lines, its act-ion is prompt The ulatching sleeve, loaded with its side protuber and sure, while it can readily be manipulated by grasping its ball or bulb, even in the darkest night. /natiou wit-h the aforesaid sleeve E, protuberance F, 1 claiml and lever D, substantially as and for the purpose set 1. The sleeve E, provided with tonguest' i, and also forth. with the side prot'ubei-iance F, acting as a compound Weight and handle, recessed to receive -a latching de-4 vice, iu combination with the target-lever D and lgrooved guide-bars B B of the stand A, or any equivleit frame, substantial! y as and for the purpose speci- 2. The pendulous tumbler J and bolt n, in combi# CHARLES C. DODGE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE T. PHELPS, G. L. WRIGHT. 

